Apparatus and method of producing water for deodorization and cleaning applications

Abstract

An apparatus and method of producing water for deodorization and cleaning applications is disclosed. In the apparatus or an electrolyzer, anode and cathode units are alternately arranged and are separated from each other by ion exchange membranes, and individually form a unit cell. Two end plates are attached to both ends of the electrolyzer. The inlet end plate has two water inlets, while the outlet end plate has two water outlets. In an electroanalysis of water in the apparatus, the current for the apparatus is set to a level of not higher than 100 A, while the voltage for the apparatus is set to a level of not higher than 100 V. In addition, the finally processed water of this invention has an acidity (pH) ranged from 2.0 to 12 and an oxidation/reduction electric potential ranged from -900 to +1180.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for producing water for deodorization and cleaning applications, comprising: an electrolyzer including:   a plurality of anode and cathode units alternately arranged while being brought into close contact with each other, said anode and cathode units being separated from each other by a plurality of ion exchange membranes and individually forming a unit cell; and   inlet and outlet end plates attached to both ends of said electrolyzer, said inlet end plate having first and second water inlets, and said outlet end plate having first and second water outlets;   each of said anode units comprising an anode plate sided with a first gap adjusting gasket and a first electrolyte leakage prevention gasket at its both sides, thus forming an anode reaction chamber, and each of said cathode units comprises a cathode plate sided with a second gap adjusting gasket and a second electrolyte leakage prevention gasket at its both sides, thus forming a cathode reaction chamber.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said gaskets of the anode and cathode units has two passages at diagonally opposite positions, thus allowing water from said first inlet of the inlet end plate to be exclusively introduced into the anode reaction chambers and allowing water from said second inlet to be exclusively introduced into the cathode reaction chambers. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a numerical stabilizing anode (DSA), made of a titanium substrate plated with platinum or coated with an oxygen generating catalyst, is used as each of said anode plates. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a stainless steel, nickel, mild steel or titanium substrate, coated with a hydrogen generating catalyst, is used as each of said cathode plates. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said oxygen or hydrogen generating catalyst is selected from iridium (Ir) and ruthenium (Ru). 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said oxygen or hydrogen generating catalyst is selected from iridium (Ir) and ruthenium (Ru).